Maci Bookout McKinney wasn't dreaming of being on reality TV when the opportunity for 16 & Pregnant came to herWhile reluctant at first, the now mom of three tells PEOPLE what it's been like sharing her life's journey with fansMaci also shares her pride in son Bentley, who shares his thoughts about filming for the beloved MTV series Maci Bookout McKinney is looking back at a long road that began with an unexpected pregnancy and a need for work. The Teen Mom: The Next Chapter star, 33, says she never set out to be on reality TV. In fact, she was after modeling when the opportunity presented itself. "I remember my mom was looking online for maternity modeling opportunities. Obviously, being a teenager without a stable career, she figured that'd be one way to spend a weekend and hopefully make a little bit of money," Maci tells PEOPLE. "She came across an ad for a teen pregnancy documentary, and she was like, 'You should write in.' And I was like, 'Absolutely not,' " she laughs. For more on where the 16 & Pregnant cast stands 16 years later, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here. "I honestly was like, 'I'm not going to be on TV for getting pregnant as a teenager. That's the last thing I want to do.' But just to appease her, I wrote in, and to my surprise, they called me. The rest is history." Maci's story about going from a dirt-biking-cheerleader with big dreams from the future to trying to figure out how to parent with her then-boyfriend Ryan Edwards was the first episode of the series to air. The pair welcomed son Bentley on October 27, 2008. The episode aired on June 11, 2009. After it aired, Maci realized people were watching, and they recognized her. "After my 16 & Pregnant episode aired, I went to Walmart or the mall a day or two after, a place that I would go on a fairly regular basis. I remember getting recognized and people being like, 'Oh my gosh, that's Maci from the show from 16 & Pregnant.' I was like, 'Wait, what?'" That feeling would continue when Maci was chosen as one of the moms whose story would continue on Teen Mom. "Nobody had any clue that we would still be here this many years later. But even in the beginning, I think, I don't think I really realized for a while how big it was. But I did start to realize the importance of following the journey of all the girls for the years to come," she explains. "Just because the kids get older or we're not teenagers anymore, I think that the struggles are still there. They may just be different. And sometimes I think it's obvious that there are always going to be struggles around it because we were teenagers when we had our children." While some of the moms felt added pressure from the audience watching at home, Maci says it inspired her to "share as much as I possibly could." "If there was any pressure, it was not to change what I was sharing or to undershare or to be different, but more pressure to really share as much as I possibly could with the audience." She continues, "I've always used the show as chance to see myself from a different perspective and learn from myself and understand more about myself. It's been a good reflective tool." While it may be cringy to look back at your teen years in your 30s for even the most uneventful person, Maci doesn't regret sharing any of it on TV. "I feel really blessed that I can see, not only see myself growing up on TV, but also growing up on TV while parenting, which is one of the most important jobs you'll have in your life, if you become a parent," she says. "There's a lot of ups and downs, but doing something like this where you're putting yourself out there to be judged and giving people permission to see all your guts and your glory, it takes a different type of courage." Bentley hasn't minded it too much either, telling PEOPLE that having your life filmed can be "pretty crazy." "The best part is getting to go to the reunions and going shoe shopping in a big city," he shares, alluding to his recent trip to New York City for the show's Sweet 16 celebration. The new driver adds, "The biggest challenge [with filming] is coming home from school or practice and not having a parking spot in my driveway." Maci is grateful to share that journey with her castmates, as well. "I feel like having the other moms and dads on the show was really, really important because it's such a support system, considering we are really the only ones that truly understand what it's been like. So it's nice to have people in your corner that you can relate to in many different areas." Looking back, some of her favorite moments to watch are "anytime when Bentley was little." "They're still funny and cute now that they're older, but seeing the kids when they were little is just so cute. They bring such a sweet and tender part to the show. Having all the births of my kids, my wedding, different trips, all on film? That's like having a really solid home video vault for us." Of her son, the proud mom says, "On one hand, it feels like it was yesterday that I brought Bentley home from the hospital as a newborn with a full camera crew — that I seemed to not even notice because I was so in awe of Benny. On the other hand I’ve live a thousand lifetimes, and I’m still in awe of him for so many new reasons that I’ve found along the way. He’s a very special human. I’m very lucky." The teen, who plays golf and baseball and dreams of continuing his athletic journey in college in a few short years, says it's been pretty cool to see what his parents were like growing up. "It’s funny because they are a lot different now than they were back then," he says. "What stands out is how far they have come from their teen years and how much they have changed." Check out MTV's celebration of 16 years of the 16 & Pregnant journey on the Thursday, May 1 episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.